The
Congress made arrangements to send a delegation of senators and representatives across
the the Hudson to greet the new president and escort him into New York City. This
letter describes in great detail the elaborate welcome the people of New York arranged
for Washington. Boudinot's description of salutes by artillery, odes sung to the tune
of "God Save the King," crimson carpets, and the general adulation of the crowd helps
us understand why some members of the Congress feared that the citizenry were inclined
towards the trappings of monarchy.